CINspirational People: Rachel Brown

PublishedJanuary 8, 2016

There are people who we run into who stand out from the crowd. Rachel Brown is one of those people. I exercise at the TriHealth Fitness Pavilion, and from the day Rachel was hired, I could tell she was someone with very special qualities. Rachel always greets me with a genuine, warm smile and I see her going out of her way to help others.

I was the recipient of her kindness numerous times, but one time stands out. I had injured my ankle (not at the gym, but at home before I arrived). It was not anything serious but was swollen and painful. I just used the upper body ergonometer (a machine that I compare to a recumbent bicycle except that you are sitting in a seat and use your arms to pedal instead of your feet). I remember Rachel getting me a seat to prop that foot onto, and then getting me a bag of ice. And I remember how she kept coming back to check on me, not just because it was her job but because she cared. I also remember how she walked with me all the way to the locker room when I left to make sure I was ok, and came up to me on my next visit to see how my ankle was doing.

Rachel definitely stands out to me every time I see her interact with people. I thought I’d really like to share some of who she is on my blog. With a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in exercise promotion, she is currently a fitness coach at TriHealth.

Lisa: Was there a life event that influenced your decision to pursue this career track?
Rachel: There has been. I come from an active family. For a short time, I gained a lot of weight from poor living choices, and I realized how fast that can happen. Excess weight can cause so many other chronic issues. I lost the weight, but I remember how I felt during and afterwards. It was a real eye opener.

Lisa: Tell us about some of your inspiration.Rachel: I just met with someone who is 90 years old, who wants to keep getting better. I thought, ‘that is the type of person I want to be.’ I also have active grandparents and I think, ‘this is what I want to do.’

But, I also want to help everyone be the best that they can be. They may not know what their full potential is, or they think there are things they cannot do when they really can – or can do better.

I want everyone I meet to see that in themselves. If you are happy with whom you are, then you probably are going to be happier and nicer to everybody around you. It will make a better connection for everybody.

Lisa: What is some wise advice that you have received?
Rachel: My grandparents have always said, ‘take time to rest’ and that has stuck with me. We feel like we have to keep up with everything going on around us, and we need to take time for ourselves.

Another thing is to get to know and be accepting of people. Someone may look unhappy, have trouble walking, or be overweight, but you don’t know why. There is always a reason.

Lisa: What advice do you give others?
Rachel: To live positively and take it day by day. We all have long term goals for ourselves. Take control of what you can control. You can’t control how someone else looks at you but you can control how you look at someone else. You can’t control if someone else is friendly to you but you can control your own perspective.